Noosa Yoghurt has come a long way from selling at farmers markets to seeking shelf space at big-time retailers such as Walmart and Publix, but it’s also making every effort to stay true to its grassroots appeal.

The Larimer County company was acquired by Boston-based private equity firm Advent International in 2014. Under the new ownership structure, Noosa has expanded to 25,000 retail outlets and faces challenges with that growing demand.

However, Noosa co-founder Koel Thomae says the acquisition has been beneficial in making the yoghurt more accessible to customers.

“Last year we welcomed a private equity firm into our family, and they’ve really played a critical role in taking us to the next level and really opening us up to new customers across the nation,” Thomae said. “You know, we put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this company, and we want to see the business continue to succeed. And the reality is that we need these additional resources to do that.”

Thomae said it was “tremendous to find a partner who aligned with their goals,” which fundamentally comes down to producing quality yogurt.

Jim Hertel, senior vice president of retail consulting firm Willard Bishop, said customer concern surrounding any acquisition of a local company is out of fear of it losing its “authenticity.”

“The concern is always that the company will lose street cred with consumers. There was some public outcry when Annie’s was acquired, and Kashi just moved back to L.A. from Battle Creek,” Hertel said, referring to two top natural and organic brands. Annie’s was acquired by General Mills and Kashi by Kellogg’s. “Part of the appeal of these upstart brands is their standing as ‘part of our community’ and the risk is that they could lose that vibe with customers.”

Noosa has grown since its acquisition. It’s up from 95 employees to 150 in 2015, and distribution has increased to 25,000 retail outlets, such as Target, Safeway and Alberton’s, compared with 5,000 in 2012.

“We’ve been really committed to continue growing our original plant in Colorado,” Thomae said. “We’ve got a great team of people who are helping us be successful on a national level, but we’re also so dedicated to what makes us different and unique. And part of that is being able to control the quality of the product. We’ve continued with this partnership to invest in the current facility and to show our commitment to the Colorado market.”

The brand also will continue obtaining milk from local dairy farms, all within an hour’s drive of Noosa headquarters, which Thomae credits to co-founder Rob Graves’ roots in the industry. He’s a fourth-generation dairy farmer.

Thomae said the company is in a testing period with Walmart in several regions across the nation, including metro Denver. She said she’s optimistic about the test because Walmart’s wide reach provides better access for Noosa customers.

Hertel said the interest in expanding to national retailers such as Publix, which operates supermarkets across the South, and Kroger, the parent company of King Sooper’s and City Market, speaks to the rising interest in natural and organic foods.

“The move to natural and organic by conventional supermarkets has certainly democratized these products — they’re more broadly accessible now and at better price points,” Hertel said. “It will force retailers such as Whole Foods and others who have leveraged natural and organic as their point of difference to raise their game in response.”

Natalie Munio covered general assignments and breaking news for The Denver Post until August 2016. A Boulder native, she's passionate about keeping Coloradans in the know with local, statewide and national news, and in ensuring the great work of journalists remains a pillar in every day life.

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